Astrologer Teri Parsley Starnes welcomes you to the Starsdance. I invite you to join me in contemplating the wonder of sky and Earth. Through following the Moon, the planets, and the wisdom of the seasons and signs, my goal is to offer a useful practice of mindfulness and intention for the thoughtful seeker. Shall we dance?

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Sunday, August 17, 2014

Follow the Moon: Forecast–August 17, 2014 – August 23

Fragile. Who would have thought that following an
intention of expanding capacity for life force this month would bring up so
many feelings of fragility? Vulnerability has been part of my experience this
Leo lunar cycle.* I say only a part because, there have been other experiences
too, the ones I would have expected from a focus on life force: expanded
confidence, expanded engagement with creativity, and expanded appreciation for
others who risk living more fully. But the force of the fragility has surprised
me. And I don’t think it should have.

Leo is a
fire sign, not water. Why all the emotion? Well, Leo isn’t the only influence
this month; there is considerable influence from Scorpio (water) too, but
really fire and water share a lot of characteristics when it comes to
describing people. Both elements feel like they can take over our whole beings.
There is no refuge from water or fire when they are strong. Both are necessary
to sustain us and both feel like they can annihilate us when out of control. Vulnerability
is the state of awareness that what I am reaching for may also overtake me. Can
I want too much? Will this fire become too strong? How do I trust the container
for these feelings?

Expanding
capacity for fire energy means to burn away the smaller container I previously had
built around this force and trust that my bigger container will hold it. It is
a natural response, I think, to believe that a stronger container means a more
invincible one. Ironically, and somewhat painfully, that isn’t so. Allowing
myself to feel more vulnerable—to care more, to risk more, to love more—is
exactly what having expanded capacity for life force is. Oh, no wonder it is
scary.

What is
your strategy when you feel this kind of vulnerability? I am encouraging myself
to lean into the discomfort while also affirming the expansive life energy that
wants to come in with the uncertainty. This week, we have an opportunity to
look at these paradoxical feelings. Venus and Jupiter come together to elevate
the possibility of living with expanded capacity for life force. These two
planets are the benefics, and they invite us to dare more greatly (recommended
book by Brene´ Brown, “Daring Greatly”). They also encourage gratitude
practices as we take note of our blessings. Venus makes a quincunx aspect to
Pluto this week as well. This is not a simple contact between these two planets
and so we are encouraged to become more complex ourselves, especially in
relationships. Let us expand what it means to be full of life force energy. Can
we also be more accountable? More aware of collective complexity? More willing
to feel uncomfortable as we hold more?

Another
complex aspect forms at the end of the week between Mars in Scorpio and Uranus
in Aries. Both of these planets are passionate about change and truth. What makes
passion more trustworthy? How do we know we are acting in alignment with our
highest values? The way we go about changing the world is as important as how
we change the world. As we expand into more life force we can learn to trust
the actions that feel both vulnerable and hopeful.

Forecast–August 17, 2014 – August
23

Moon in enters Gemini 5:41 pm CDT

August
17—Last Quarter Moon: Evaluating. It is
sometimes the case that we don’t know the value of an experience until we get
some distance from it. This may be particularly true of this lunar cycle. With
Jupiter’s recent ingress into Leo (Jupiter will be traveling through Leo for
the next year), the significance of the Leo journey is greater than usual. We
are absorbing more about this sign, and from my perspective, we are absorbing
more information about life force energy itself. This phase of the Moon asks us
to evaluate the experience of this lunar cycle thus far. Without drawing firm
conclusions, what experiences of life force will you put away into your
backpack of Leo observations? Today is a great day to observe life force
energy. Venus in Leo makes two important contacts over the next two days. Today
Venus is quincunx Neptune; tomorrow Venus conjoins Jupiter in Leo. The aspect
to Neptune invites us to evaluate our fantasies about life force. It is easy to
fool ourselves, to project onto others a way of being that looks more engaging
than our own. The other side of Neptune invites us to erase the barriers that
separate us. There is no scarcity of life force when someone else’s brilliance
inspires our own.

Moon in Gemini

Monday,
August 18. Gemini’s
superpower is curiosity, which is no lightweight power. Curiosity opens doors. The
Moon in Gemini can help us enhance this power. The day sparkles with
possibility. Venus and Jupiter are joined together in Leo infusing social
situations with pizzazz, especially early in the day (CDT). I know, Monday
mornings are not usually the time we want to sparkle socially. However, the
good vibes can take us through the day. In contrast to this extraverted energy,
Mercury in Virgo, ruler of both Gemini and Virgo, makes an opposition to
Neptune in Pisces. Mercury helps
us ground into pragmatic approaches to mysticism. Remember that curiosity?
Approach the day with your own questions about how you can bring it all
together: life force, pragmatism, and a sense of wonder.

Moon in Gemini

Tuesday,
August 19. Yesterday
sizzled with doors opening, profound insights, and just plain old fun in the
right circumstances. There isn’t much going on today that will disrupt that
flow. Continue asking questions and finding serendipitous answers.

Moon
enters Cancer 3:45 am CDT

Wednesday,
August 20. The
mood shifts today and we really begin to notice the waning energy of this lunar
cycle. With the Moon in Cancer, we are more likely to want to spend time at
home or around those folks who feel like family. The Moon in Cancer soothes
away any friction caused by the opposition between Mercury in Virgo and Neptune
in Pisces. This friction may have felt like frustration with someone else who
either wants you to be more practical or more inspired. From the resting place
of Home, you find the right balance for yourself.

Moon
in Cancer

August 21—Balsamic
Moon: SurrenderingThe
Moon, Venus, and Mercury aspect Pluto today, giving us the perfect energetic
support for beginning to put this lunar cycle to rest. What needs to be done
before you let go of this cycle? I’ve been noticing that as I expand my
capacity to feel more life force energy, I am also feeling more vulnerable too.
Feeling more energy also brings up more emotion. With the waning Moon in a
water sign and with all these contacts with Pluto, the planet of death and
transformation, these feelings may be strong today. I’m telling myself that
this is a good thing. When I let down my shields, I can hold more of the
radiant energy represented by Leo. Mars is right in the middle of Scorpio,
giving support for going deep into our fears. Mars in Scorpio is fierce. When
the Moon squares Uranus today, we may fiercely desire to make change happen,
Now! I wonder how standing in our radiant life force energy will impact this
passion? The final transit today brings us back to accountability and
integrity. Saturn and the Moon form a trine. You can trust your honest
emotions.

Moon enters Leo 3:49 pm CDT

Friday, August 22. Sun
enters Virgo. Just as the Moon returns to Leo for the last few days of this
Leo lunar cycle, the Sun moves into Virgo. Although we may want to get busy
cleaning out the closets, buying school supplies, or generally going into
worker bee mode, it may be best to put it off until the New Moon in Virgo
(August 25) gives us the signal to go full steam ahead. Now, let the Virgo
balsamic Moon help you to discern how the experiences of this lunar cycle have
impacted you. What, if anything, feels a little raw still? What, if anything,
feels healed? The middle of summer is over (in the Northern Hemisphere). We are
headed into the fall before too long. What final piece of summer Sun do you
wish to invite into your soul?

Moon in Leo

Saturday, August 23. We are
being asked to go deeper in order to move ahead with the changes we need to
make. That can feel frustrating, but when we are sure we know what we want, why
we want it, and what we are willing to do for it, then we have the pleasure of
moving ahead quite quickly. Mars in Scorpio is the force of looking underneath
the surface before we impulsively act (energy furnished by Uranus in Aries).
These two reactive planets are quincunx to each other. Watch out for short
fuses and lots of frustration. The Moon’s contact with Jupiter and Venus in Leo
may lighten things or make them more volatile. Leo is a fire sign after all.
Take a breath into your expanded capacity for life force energy. How does that
shift the situation? Keep doing it.

*The
Leo lunar cycle began on July 26 at the New Moon. Read more about the beginning
of this lunar cycle on my Starsdance blog.